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Anth 101

The document discusses several key concepts in anthropology. It defines public symbols, symbolic space, and key symbols. It then discusses Clifford Geertz's symbolic approach to interpreting religion as a system of symbols that establishes moods, provides understanding, feels necessary, and makes moods feel realistic. The document also asks how standard kinship diagrams are drawn and defines kindred, marriage, incest taboos, lineage groups, and types of plural marriages and lineage systems.

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Ann
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48 views2 pages

Anth 101

The document discusses several key concepts in anthropology. It defines public symbols, symbolic space, and key symbols. It then discusses Clifford Geertz's symbolic approach to interpreting religion as a system of symbols that establishes moods, provides understanding, feels necessary, and makes moods feel realistic. The document also asks how standard kinship diagrams are drawn and defines kindred, marriage, incest taboos, lineage groups, and types of plural marriages and lineage systems.

Uploaded by

Ann
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a public symbol?

A public symbol is preccede the individual and make certain ecperiences typical and possible.

How is space symbolic?

Because the way in which places are organised is based on a set of symbolic oppositions

Example: Churches are often built so that worshippers face east.

What is a key symbol?

Key symbols are symbols that are particularly important for people living in a certain

What is an elaborating symbol?

a symbol that has a lot of meaning and ideas behind it American flag.

What is a symbolic approach to religion?

• Clifford Geertz (1926-2006): Culture is like a text that can be interpreted. Religion is a system of
symbols that:

1. establishes powerful moods and motivations in people,

2. provides an understanding of the general order of the universe

3. feels factual and necessary

4. makes their moods and motivations feel realistic.

How is a standard kinship diagram drawn? Draw one

What is a kindred? one's family and relations

What is a marriage?

the legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship

What rules define marriages? Rules about who can marry who.

• Rules about where married people should live.

• Rules about what assets and resources belong to who.

• Rules about what group the married people belong to.

• Rules about what group their children belong to.

What is an incest taboo? Taboos prohibiting sexual relationships or marriages with certain relatives.

What explanations are there for incest taboos?

• The inbreeding explanation: Incest is prohibited because it has adverse physical effects on children.
• The childhood familiarity explanation: Incest is prohibited because people naturally do not feel desire
to marry or have sex with people they are very familiar with.

• The repressed desire explanation: Incest is prohibited so that close

family members do not act on sexual desires for each other, and create conflict in a family.

• The alliance explanation: Incest is prohibited so that small groups can create alliances with other
groups, giving them a social network they can rely on.

Is marriage universal? Marriage is not universal. Where marriage exists, it does not have one universal
form.

What are the types of plural marriage? Polygyny • Polyandry monogamy

What are some reasons that plural marriages exist? Fraternal Polyandry: Brothers marrying one
woman.

• Fraternal polyandry keeps the number of descendants low, and keeps land concentrated rather than
split up.

• This is important where arable land is limited.

What is a lineage group? lineal descent from an ancestor; ancestry or extraction

What types of lineage systems are there?

Matrilineal- of or based on kinship with the mother or the female line

Patrilineal - relating to or based on relationship to the father or descent through the male line.

Unilateral - performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a situation, without
the agreement of another or the others.

Bilateral -

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